Combat Class

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to grow tired, finally bringing his tedious speech to an end.

Once the speech concluded, the students on the playground dispersed, heading toward their assigned classrooms.

Inside Class A.

Uchiha Gen casually found a seat in the back by the window. Sitting at the desk, he found himself inexplicably intrigued by the feeling of starting school all over again.

Scanning the classroom, he looked at the colorful array of hair colors before him. Uchiha Gen felt quite fortunate to have been reborn into the Uchiha clan; to him, black hair was the most normal color of all.

"SLAM!!"

"Quiet!!"

Just as Uchiha Gen was sizing up his future classmates, a man wearing a Konoha flak jacket walked in. His appearance and grooming were both incredibly sloppy.

"Hello everyone, I am Ino Sarutobi, your teacher for the next few years. I like students who are obedient and don't cause trouble, and I dislike those who don't listen. If you have any issues during the school term, you can come find me, but try your best not to."

"To help everyone get along better in this class, it is customary for each of you to come up to the podium and give a brief self-introduction, just like I did. However, you may add a dream."

While introducing himself, Ino Sarutobi grabbed a piece of chalk from the podium, scribbled his name on the blackboard behind him, and turned around to speak in a low, stern voice.

His expression was serious; he did not seem like a man who was easy to get along with.

"Alright, we will start from you and go one by one in order."

After speaking, Ino Sarutobi stepped aside and gestured toward the student sitting closest to the podium.

"Hello everyone, my name is Yuichi Yamashiro..."

"Hello everyone, my name is Hizashi Hyuga. My hobby is watching birds fly freely, and I dislike... I don't have anything I dislike. As for my dream, I suppose it is to support my older brother..."

On the stage, Hizashi Hyuga kept a straight face while introducing himself.

In the audience, Uchiha Gen rested his chin on his hand, watching the white-eyed boy on the podium, specifically the white bandage wrapped around the boy's forehead.

Tsk, branded with the Caged Bird at such a young age? It's a good thing I was reborn with 'red-eye disease' rather than cataracts.

In Uchiha Gen's view, the Caged Bird was actually a very sound policy for the Hyuga clan. After all, the Hyuga were not the Uchiha.

They were... simply too weak.

In a ninja world where eyes could be plucked and plugged in like accessories, they possessed eyes that were too easy to activate, yet they lacked the strength to prevent their bloodline from being plundered.

The existence of the Caged Bird did, in a sense, preserve them, but that did not change the fact that the Hyuga clan was weak.

Uchiha Gen could not fathom how the Hyuga dared to compete with his Uchiha for the title of the number one ocular bloodline.

As for the Tenseigan, the evolution of the Byakugan? Did the Hyuga clan even have anyone capable of awakening those eyes? No.

"Hello everyone, I am Minato Namikaze. I like reading books, I haven't encountered anything I dislike yet, and my dream is to become Hokage!"

After Hizashi Hyuga, it was Minato Namikaze's turn to take the stage.

Watching the little blond boy with the gentle smile on the podium, Uchiha Gen understood Kushina Uzumaki's later assessment of Minato Namikaze.

At this age, Minato Namikaze was indeed quite effeminate; looking at his face alone, he was better looking than many of the girls in the class.

Following Minato Namikaze, the others in the class took turns introducing themselves. There were a few familiar faces, but not many.

As one introduction followed another, it was soon Uchiha Gen's turn. His seat in the back by the window made him the very last one.

Uchiha Gen stood up and walked to the podium. Glancing at Minato Namikaze, a bit of dark humor couldn't help but rise in his heart.

Your student is giving the introduction you gave to your son, and now I am talking about you right in front of you. How is this not a form of Konoha's "inheritance of bonds"?

"My name is Uchiha Gen. As for things I like and dislike... I can't be bothered to tell you. As for my future dream... my interests are quite diverse."

Having said that, Uchiha Gen walked straight back to his seat.

"What's his problem? Other than his name, everything else he said was just nonsense."

"He's an Uchiha. My old man said that people from the Uchiha clan are the most disgusting."

"Shh, keep it down."

Listening to the yapping of these brats, Uchiha Gen felt quite good.

Yes, just like that. Only then can I feel at ease harvesting you all like leeks.

Since he needed draw counts, Uchiha Gen naturally required various battles, and in the Ninja Academy, these students were the most suitable opponents for him to fight.

As a member of the Uchiha clan, he naturally needed to make good use of his Uchiha bloodline status.

From the very beginning, Uchiha Gen never intended to hide his talent. In this timeline, the winds of war were already blowing across the ninja world, and the current Konoha still needed the Uchiha clan.

Therefore, once his talent was fully revealed, he wouldn't need to care about any overt targeting.

As for covert schemes? Hmph, the most the current Konoha would do is monitor him in secret or pull some strings on the battlefield.

Regarding all of that...

"I am an Uchiha, after all."

Because of the draw mechanic of the Mist Space, Uchiha Gen was destined to participate in countless battles to obtain cards and strengthen himself.

Since his path of growth required endless combat, why bother hiding his true self?

The eve of war is precisely the time when one can display their talent as they please; those few who sit at the very pinnacle of Konoha's power may be full of malice, but they are certainly no fools.

"All students of Class A, assemble!"

On the Ninja Academy training grounds, Ino Sarutobi held a notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other, shouting loudly.

After everyone had finished their self-introductions, Ino Sarutobi had led all the students to the training grounds.

"When you were taking your entrance exams, I believe the proctors already told you exactly what kind of class Class A is.

Therefore, I will not go into excessive detail here; you only need to know that Class A is taught completely differently from all other classes.

As for how it differs... you will find out immediately. Next! Your first lesson upon entering the Ninja Academy: live combat!

When I call your names in a moment, please be prepared. First group, Mitarashi Toichi versus Nohara Hiroshi; second group, Hizashi Hyuga versus Uchiha Gen; third group, Minato Namikaze versus..."

Watching all the students who had finished assembling, Ino Sarutobi held the notebook and quickly called out the names.